Adjustable swing.



J. A. ROGERS.

ADJUSTABLE SWING.

f APPLICATION FILED JAN. l1, 9|5- l 1,177,899. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. A. ROGERS.

ADJUSTABLE swms. APPLICATION FILED IAN.`|I, |915;

1,177,899. I Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Qinessrs 05 THE COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPN C0., WASHINGTON, D. C.

I. A. ROGERS.

ADIUSTABLE SWING. APPLlcAnoN msn JAN. 11, 1915 1,177,899. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

3 SHEETS*SHEET 3.

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THE COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH C0.. wAsHlNaTON. D. C.

JOHN. AUGUSTIN ROGERS, OF ATLANTA, GEORGA.

ADJUSTABLE SWING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented api. a, ieic.

Application filed January 11, 1915. Serial No. 1,674.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN A. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Adjustable Swings; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will 'enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to chairs, and more especially to 'those having elements or members which are variously adjustable, the entire chair being supportedv from overhead so that it may swing in any of its adjusted positions; and the object of the same is to produce various improvements in details as will be brought out below.

The following specification sets forth my preferred manner of constructing this improvedswing and of adjusting its parts and operating the saine, reference being had to the accompanying vdrawings wherein Figure l is a perspective view of the swing with its parts set up so as to constitute a swinging chair. Fig. 2 is a side view with the parts adjusted toa lounging position, the seat extension being housed and the foot support standing oblique to the seat. Fig. 3 is a plan view partly broken away, showing the seat extension as being drawn out and the back as standing oblique so as to give an upper edge view of the three-part link.Y Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the entire device with its parts extended into the form of a bed, or a swing upon which one may sleep oi' lounge at full length. Fig. 5 is an elevation taken from the foot end of Fig. il. Fig. 6 is a perspective sectionalA detail, taken from the under side of the seat with its extension in the act of being` drawn out, the foot folded, and the bail of the footsupport locking device locked so that said support stands vertical; and Fig. 7 is a similar perspective detailv except that the eX- tension is here drawn fully out and locked in place, the foot stands upright, the bail is unlatched, and the foot support is oblique. Figs. 8 and 9 are details of the tliree-part link, showing the hanger, a back stringer, and the upper slat of the back.

As is the case in most folding swings or folding chairs, this device comprises a seat having arms at its ends, a back hinged at its lower edge to the rear edge of the seat, a

back extension, a head-piece carried by the latter, a seat extension, a foot piece carried by this extension, and a foot-support also carried by this extension, with means for A'locking or latching it in its various positions. The present invention also provides means for supporting the swing from over- Y head, asby-the use of cables or chains, and at each end of the swing one chain is connected with the forward portion of the arm and the other chain is connected with a hanger, which latter is pivotally mounted at its lower end on the saine bolt which forms the hinge between the seat and back, while it is connected with the back by a peculiar three-part link as will be described. Many of these elements are old individually or in combination in devices of substantially the same character, and to the extent that they are old I lay no claim to them and would not be limited to their precise constructionhence it will hardly be necessary to amplify their details further than as the samecoact with the features of invention which the present case possesses. Adjustable swings oftliis kind have come into such general use when supported from their own standards or from the ceiling of a porch, and especially a sleeping porch surrounded by netting, that there is a demand for a swing which can be used not only asa chair or a lounging swing, but also as a bed. A

It may therefore be said to be the purpose .Y

of the present invention to produce an adjustable swing of this kind which may be einployed during the day time or the twilight hours as a swing, and later can be opened out into a bed so that the owner may sleep on it with comfort.

. l will endeavor to describe the various elements or sections piece by piece..

The bottom or seat is shown as made up of two stringers 1 at its ends connected by slats Q (which might be upholstered if desired, or could be covered by a cushion or a mattress), and the length of this element may be such that the swing will accommodate one or two, or perhaps s everal people. The rear ends of the stringcrs are connected by a single bolt 3 as illustrated (although it might be two bolts) constituting the pintle of the hinge by means of which the back is connected to the seat. Inside each stringer forward of this bolt a track il is secured to the face of the stringer near its lower edge and extends forward; and at the front end Cil of this track a lug projects longitudinally inward toward the opposite track and has its inner corner beveled as at (3. To the outer face of each Stringer near its front end is loosely attached a hook 7 for a purpose to be described below.

iach arm comprises a pair of uprights l0 and ll rising` rigidly from one of the stringers l, to whose outer face they are secured, and an arm piece l2 herein shown as rigidly connecting the upper ends of the uprights, the rear end of this arm piece projecting to the rear of the rear upright ll and torming a stop i3 for a purpose yet to appear.

.The seat extension is herein shown as consisting of a pair of end stringers connected by longitudinal slats 2l overlying the stringers and extending at their extremities beyond them, so that such extremities may travel on the tracks 4f of the seat when the extension is housed within the same. rlhe inner ends of said stringere carry lugs or cams so spaced as to slide against the inner faces of said tracks 4, and the front ends of these cams are inclined as shown at 23 while their lower faces bear flattened portions or rests 24 in rear of which are shoulders As perhaps best seen in Figs. 6 and 7, when the extension is housed be neath the seat without any weight upon the extension, the front portions of its stringere rest upon the inner ends of the lugs 5. W hen i the extension is drawn outward its stringers slide over said lugs until the beveled or inclined ends 23 of its cams 22 strike the inclined ends of the lugs 5 and slide upward over the saine. Then the rests 24 move onto the upper faces of the lugs, and the shoulders 25 Contact with their rear ends G and prevent the entire'withdrawal of the extension. J ust at this time the inner extremities ofthe stringers 20 ascend (under the weight of the extension) and engage forward of blocks or stops 27 which are carried beneath one of the slats of the seat and whose obvious purpose is to hold the extension in extended position. To restore it to its housed position its outer edge must be raised so that the inner extremities of the stringere disengage these stops, after which it can be pushed back to place in a manner which will be clear.

The foot or foot-piece is by preference composed of end bars or stringers 30 connected by slats 3l, and especially so if the seat extension is slatted. In that case I would so dispose the slats 3l beneath the stringers 30 that when the foot is folded down upon this extension its slats 3l fall between the slats 2l and the thickness of the two elements as thus overlaid upon each other is reduced to a minimum so that they may be conjointly housed beneath the seat. The lower ends of the stringers are by preference connected by a cross strip 32 which covers the front edges of the extension and foot-piece when these elements are housed beneath the seat, and this strip 1s hinged. as at under the front edge of the eXten- The foot-support illustrated in the drawings may be used or might be omitted in some cases, but I prefer its use. Rightangular metal brackets 4-0 are connected to the outer face ofthe cross strip 32 and carried outward slightly beyond the ends thereof in position yto be engaged by the hooks '7 of the seat member when all parts are folded, and the ydownwardly bent treniities or arms of these brackets are pivotally connected as at il with uprights ft2 which hang from the saine and are con.- nected across their lower ends by a cross bar 43 which forms a rest for the feet when the device is used as a swing as seen in Fig. l. There may be a heel 'rest et of light strap iron, as also best seen in this view.

The adjusting `nfiechanijsm for the foot support consists of a bail .whose side arms are pivoted'at l to the uprights el? and extend thence inwardly and upwardly beneath the seat extension, and whose cross bar 52 stands nearly on edge and travels over rack bars 53 which are carried beneath.

the stringers of the extension. bars by preference have ratchet teeth 5t near their front ends facing forwardly, andV two or three notches 55 near their rear ends, the walls of the notches ,being upright so that they do not possess the ratchet prin ciple and when engaged therewith can not readily be disengaged. A tripper is provided for disengaging this adjusting device from any of the teeth of the rack bars, and said tripper consists of a spring arm 5G secured at its rear end at the point 57 beneath the eX- tension, projecting thence forward beneath the cross bar 52, andcarrying at its front end a transverse finger piece or handlel 58 standing beneath the front edge of the eX- tension and just in rear of the cross strip where itis practically out of sight.` By raising this handle, the spring arm 5G of These rack the lower edge of the cross bar `los the tripper is caused to raise the cross bar..v i

52 of the bail, so that the lower edge of said bar disengages the ratchet teeth 54 or the notches 55 of the rack bars, after which the foot support as a. whole can be adjusted forward and backward as desired.' It is obvious that' this adjusting mechanismV in no way interferes withl the sliding movement of the extension or the raising and lowering of the foot-piece.

The back is by preference composed of a pair of stringers 60 whose lower ends pass inside the stringers 1 ofthe seat and are pivotally mounted on the bolt 3; and slats 61 which connect the stringere. Here again, upholstery might be provided, or a separate cushion or mattress, as this element does not have to slide on any other. rlhe uppermost slat 62 of the back is longer than the others, or there should be a slat atr62 if the other slats are replaced by upholstery or a solid back. The purpose of extending this slat beyondthe stringers 60 will appear below. Also, as perhaps best seen in Fig. 3, the rearmost slat 63 which overlies the bolt 3 is cut a little short s0 that the stringers 60 are exposed beyond its extremities; and the next to the rearmost slat 64 of the seat section is notched near its extremities as at 65 to permit the stringers 60 to swing upward when the back is raised. if the seat and backsection are not slatted, suitable provision may be made for permitting the proper disposition of the back in thismanner, but I prefer the construction shown.

The back extension is constructed in all respects on substantially the same lines as the seat extension, excepting of course that it slides in under or behind the back. So also the head-piece is constructed the same as the foot-piece, and its connection with the back extension is the same as the connection of the foot-piece with the seat extension. 1t will hardly be necessary t0 give an ample description of these parts, but I have numbered the back extension 66 and the head or head-piece 67.

Two hangers are provided, each consisting of a bar 70 pivotally mounted at 71 on the bolt 3 outside the seat stringere 1 as best seen in Fig. 3, their position being such that when they stand upright they rest against the stops 13 at the rear ends of the arm pieces 12 as seen in Fig. 1, and at this time the extremities of the long slat 62 in the back overlie the upper ends of the-bars T0 as indicated at 72 in Fig. 1.

The support for this swing is shown as consisting of a pair of cables or chains and 81, one pair being disposed at each end of the swing. The front cable S0 is connected at the point 82 with the front upright 10 of the arm. whereas the rear cable 81 is connected at the point S3 with the upper end of the hanger 70. A cross cable or strut 84 connects the point 83 with a point 85 in the front cable, and when the swing is used in the form of an ordinary chair as seen in Fig. 1 this strut 'Si is not under tension and both cables extend vertically upward to some point overhead, such as the porch ceiling,

Whew the elements or membersof the swing are adjusted to a lounging position as seen in Fig. 2, however, the hangers move backward'a little as Vwill yet be described and the point 83 draws the struts Sat backward so that the points 85 are deflected to the rear, thereby putting an angle in each front cable S0 between its overhead support and its point 82 of attachment to the arm. rlhis throws the entire support slightly out of line with the swing seat, and deflects the front cables 80, with the result that the ca- Y bles support the entire structure over a center of gravity which would nass more nearly through the rear edge of the seat, as is now necessary because of the altered dispositionV pf its load. Vihen the device is adjusted into the shape'of a bed as shown in Fig. 4, the back and its extension are let down to a substantially horizontal position by means.

of the three-part link yet to he described, but the hangers are not inclined farther to the rear than when the device is in a lounging position: hence the adjustment ofthe support is unaltered.

The three-part link hitherto referred to is best seen in Figs. S and 9, and its relation with each Stringer and hanger in other views. It consists of three parts or individual links, preferably made of strap iron and pivotallv connected where they meet or overlap. The uppermost or longest part is pivoted at 91 to the inner face of the hanger 70 and its rear end is beveled as at 92. The second or intermediate part 93 is pivoted at 94 to the upper part near the beveled end thereof. The third part 95 is pivoted at its lower end at 96 outsidethe back-Stringer 60, and near its upper end at the point 97 to the intermediate or second part 93; and this end is continued slightly beyond its upper pivot 97 and formed `with a lip 98 underlying the lower edge of the intermediate part 93 fora purpose yet to appear. The pivot 91 is considerably nearer the main pivot or bolt 3 than the pivot 96, and when the back is let down to a substantially horizontal position as seen in Fig. Ll the three-part link is extended so that its parts are practically in alinement and they weight thrown upon the back section of the swing is sustained from the hanger. Pivoted at 100 to the inner face of the hanger bar 70 is an L-shaped catch 101 whose body is sustained in active position transversely across the hanger bv a pin or stop 102 and whose foot 103 at its free end is adapted to be struck bv the beveled end 92 of the upper part or link 90 when the latter is raised. The result is that this part may be raised alongside the hanger, and its bevel willV automatically lift the catch and engage behind lits foot, after which the back section of the swing will be supported from the hanger by the two parts or links 93 and 95 he has but to lean back in the only, and the back will therefore stand much nearer to the hanger so that the swing 'assumes a lounging position. Continued upward movement of the back collapses the three-part link entirely by causing the pivot 9? to move downward so that the three parts of this link orerlie each other and stand between the Stringer 60 and the bar 'T0 which are now strictly parallel. To hold them in this position, the upper end of the hanger is sprung outward, carried past, and then dropped back against the extremity of the long slat 62 inthe back, and a hook 10l pivoted at 105 on the under side of the Stringer G is engaged over a pin 106 on the under side lof the adjacent hangerso that the string-er and hanger become as one, with the tl'iree-partzlink folded between them. At this time the weight of the occupant of the swing draws downward on the cables 80 and 81, and the hangers rise against the stops 13 formed by the rear ends of the arm-pieces 12. v

W hen now the occupant desires to swing, structure so as to press the back to the rear around its pivot 3, thereby carrying the hangers away from the stops 13 and detlecting the cables S0 and 81 by means of their connections or struts 8%. This gives the swing a forward impulse; and when the occupant again leans forward the parts resume their normal poition and the swing is given a rearward impulse. Continuing this operation for a. short time, he is soon swinging as rigorously as desired. lf he would assume a lounging position, the hooks i are disengaged from t eir pins 10G and the back section let down as far as the two links or parts 93 and 95 will permit; this change in the center of gravity swinging the hangers to the rear slightly and putting an angle in the cables 80 as already described. At this time it may be desirable in order to increase the comfort of the occupant, that lthe foot support be Vswung somewhat forward, and in order to accomplish this it is necessary only to raise the handle 58 so that the cross -bar 52 of the bail is lifted out of whichever notch V it then engages, and swing the support forward to reengage the cross bar with one of the ratchet teeth Thereafter the occupant can swing to and fro in the manner already described. If now it is desired to convert the device into a bed, it becomes necessary to elongate the back sol that the shoulders maiY loe` supported. The catches 101 are raised so that their feet 108 disengage the beveled ends of the upper linkparts 90, and the three-part links let down the back to a horizontal position as seen in Fig. The back extension is then drawn out, and the head-piece 67 may be raised lif desired. The seat extension is then drawn out, aud-the foot-piece may be raisedl if foot support comes otl' the lloor; and 'thereafter he has a most comfortable swinging bed which, of course, is adapted for two or more people if the swing be wide enough. rlhe 'head sectioii? prevents the accidental pushing oli' of pillows which might be flost onto the porch while the occupant was asleep. As above suggested, the foot sectioncould be omitted.

llo restore the parts to their original positions, the head section and foot section are folded down by knuckling their linksfin an obvious manner, the two extensions are slid into place beneath the elements carrying them, the back section is raised to a reclining position or to` a strictly upright position, and the hooks lOl or catches 101V will hold it there as already described.

As a. porch swing it will probably be desirable to slat the seat section and the yback section as illustrated, although with respect to this and yother details I do not wishto be limited. may say in conclusion that it is possible to herein described in connection with a swing, as parts of a foldingchair, or even in other ways; and I reserve the right to the broadest uses of which they are susceptible. For` instance, the seat extension might be omitted entirely and expedient-s may be adopted for making the initial cost of the swing less. I have spoken of two rack' bars, but obviously it would be cheaper to use but onealthoughf.

l would prefer two where the swing is rather wide. struction, the back extension might be omitted and the back made a little higher than `shown in order to supportv the shouldersk when the swing is adjusted to a lounging position; but it could not then be used as a bed unlses the back were extremely high, and therefore back that the purchaser may buy an extension for it later. 1n the preferred. form of swing the on the seat, his back on thek Vutilize several of the features ln zin-extremely cheap con-V l prefer to employ the back. extension or at least to so construct the back will not be too high to lay the arm across it when used as a seat, and Y therefore when let position it may be back in order the head. If these various omissions or additions upset the-center of gravity, the

down to the lounging desirable to raise the over-head support to which the cables arek adjusted, or the length ofi attached can be the strut can be adjusted, as it is manifestly desirable that when the device is let down to support the shoulders andk CII into bed shape the center of gravity will be such that the bed will be level.

What is claimed is:

l. In an adjustable swing, the combination with the* seat section having arms, hangers pivotally connected to and rising from the rear corners of the seat, a pivoted back section, and means for supporting it from said hangers at different angles to a vertical; of front and rear supports attached to points overhead and connected with the front ends of said arms and the upper. ends of said hangers, and struts connecting said upper ends with the front supports above their points of connection with the arms.

2. In an adjustable swing, the combination with the seat section having arms at its extremities, hangers pivotally connected to and rising from the rear edge of the seat, a pivoted back section, links connecting said back section with the hangers for supporting it at different positions therefrom. and means for supporting the back section in strict alinement with the hangers; of cables supported from overhead and connected with the forward extremities of said arms and the upper extremities of said hangers, and struts connecting the upper extremities of the hangers with the front cables forward of their points of attachment to the arms.

3. In a swing, the combination with the seat section, arms rising rigidly therefrom and having arm-pieces with stops at their rear ends, a hinge bolt through the rear of the seat section, two hangers pivotally mounted at their lower ends on said bolt and adapted to strike said stops, a back section also pivotally mounted on said bolt between the hangers, means for adjustably supporting it from said hangers, and means for holding it between and in alinement with said hangers; of flexible supports connected with the front ends of said arms and the upper ends of said hangers, for the purpose set forth.

il. In a swing, the combination with theV seat section, arms rising rigidly from the extremities thereof and having arm-pieces with stops at their rear ends, a hinge bolt through the rear of the seat section, two hangers pivotally mounted at their lower ends on said bolt and adapted to contact with said stops, a back section also pivotally mounted on said bolt between the hangers, and links connecting the back section with said hangers; of cables depending fromV overhead and whereof one pair is connected with the front corners of said seat section and the other pair with the upper ends of said hangers, and struts connecting the upper ends of the hangers with the front cables.

5. In a swing, the combination with the seat section, arms rising rigidly from the through the rear extremities thereof and having arm-pieces with stops at their rear ends, a hinge bolt of the seat section, two hangers pivotally mounted at their lower ends on said bolt and adapted to strike said stops, a back section also pivotally mounted on said bolt between the hangers, three-part links connecting the back section with said hangers and each adapted to be folded between one Stringer-bar of said back section and one hanger when the section stands in alinement with the hangers, and means for holding these elements detachably in such alinement; of cables depending from overhead and whereof one pair is connected with the front ends of said arms and the other pair with the upper ends of said hangers, and struts connecting the upper ends of the hangers with the front cables at points above the attachment of the latter to the arm's.

6. In a device of the class described, the

combination with an element having transverse stringers connected by longitudinal members, tracks secured to the inner faces of said stringers, and lugs projecting inward at the front ends of said tracks and having their inner corners beveled; of an extension element comprising transverse stringers connected by longitudinal members, the stringers being closer together than those of the first-named elementand the extremities of its longitudinal members being adapted to slide on said tracks, and lugs depending from the innerends of the extension stringers and having beveled front ends, rests adjacent their bevels, and shoulders in rear of the rests, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with an element having transverse stringers connected by longitudinal members, tracks secured to the inner faces of said stringers, and lugs projecting inward at the front ends of said tracks and having their rear corners beveled; of an extension element comprising transverse stringers connected by longitudinal members, whose extremities slide on said tracks,

lugs depending from the inner ends of the stringers of said extension and beveled at their front ends, and stops depending from Y the longitudinal members of said first named element in position to engage the inner ends of the stringers of the extension element when its lugs overlie the other lugs,

for the purpose set forth.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main element, and an extension element slidably mounted beneath the same and comprising transverse stringers and longitudinal spaced slats; of a movable element comprising longitudinal spaced slats adapted to 'pass down between the slats of the extension element and transverse stringers overlying said slats, a cross head to the upper strip secured beneath the ends of these stringere, and hinges connecting this strip With the lower faces of the stringere of said extension element, for the purpose set forth.. 9. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a main element, and an extension element slidably mounted beneath the same and comprising transverse stringere and longitudinal spaced slats; of a movable element comprising longitudinal spaced slats adapted to pass down between the slats of the extension element and transverse stringers oi'erlying said slats, a cross strip secured. beneath. the ends of these stringere, hinges connecting this strip with the lower faces of the stringers of said eX- tension ele-ment, right-angular brackets secured beneath said strip, a foot-piece carried by the downturned ends of said brackets, means for adjusting the angle of said foot-piece to said extension element, and means on the latter for engaging said brackets when they are turned downward.

l0. In a device of the class described, the combination With a seat element, a back element having a long slat across its upper edge, a pivot bolt connecting these elements, hanger bars mounted on the outer ends of said bolt, andV supports leading from overends of the hanger bars and connected to the seat; of means for Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the latching said'back element in a line 'with the hanger bars with the ends of its long slat resting on their front edges, thebars ends of said hanger bars and connected to the front edges of the seat; of means` for latching said back element'in a line WithV the hanger 'bars with the ends of its long slat `resting on their front edges, the bars@- being capable of springing outward to pass` on the outer ends of said ends, and three-part links between the ends of the back element and the adjacent hanger bars for of the back.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN AUGUSTINE ROGERS.

Witnesses:

Roer. C. LADE, Roer. T. GINN.

Washington, D. C.

permitting the letting down Commissioner of Patents, 

